Whingeing women on the radio are SUCH a TURN OFF!

... the scathing verdict of female listeners who wrote to us in their hundreds after Rod Liddle’s withering assault on Radio 4 in last week’s Mail

WHEN Rod liddle launched an impassioned attack on Radio 4’s feminist agenda in the Mail last week, it struck a chord with many of our readers.

Rod, former editor of the station’s flagship today programme, lamented that the programming schedule that once set the agenda of the day was now filled with a plethora of female commentators — seemingly picked purely for their gender — opining endlessly on worthy-but-dull topics and whingeing non-stop.

‘Moan, moan, moan, all the live-long day. In each case, they were complaining about injustice in some form — and usually an imagined injustice,’ he wrote.

He condemned the ‘quota system’ too, writing: ‘Apparently, some Radio 4 news and current affairs programmes, such as today, are now required to ensure that at least 50 per cent of their contributors are female otherwise the producers get hauled over the coals.

‘the BBC will argue that this quota system is simply an attempt to represent an estimated 51 per cent of the British population, i.e. women, and is nothing to do with social engineering or political correctness.

‘Well, if so, fine. Indeed, perhaps the BBC might consider expanding this scheme to ensure that other sectors of the British population which account for more than 50 per cent overall might equally be allowed 50 per cent representation on air.

‘Such as people who want the UK to leave the European Union — 52 per cent (Source: that referendum we had in 2016) or people who do not identify as ‘feminist’ — 93 per cent (Fawcett Society, 2016).

‘Now, tell me if you think those views are proportionately represented on the BBC, and especially Radio 4? Do you think they are given equal airtime to the less popular liberal standpoints which nonetheless the BBC supports?’

Hundreds of you — mainly women — wrote in to agree with him. In fact, it seems women are the ones most outraged by the 50 per cent female quotas that the show has imposed.

Here’s what you had to say on the topic...

I RECALL DAYS OF REAL INEQUALITY

I regretfully gave up on Radio 4 several years ago because I found it so infuriating and patronising.

Some of us remember when women really did suffer unfairness — for example, women of my mother’s generation could claim no help with money or accommodation for themselves and their children if they had living husbands whose ‘duty’ it was to support them, even if they had no idea where they were. there was also a list of professions and jobs that women were literally or practically barred from.

All that has changed, most of it in my lifetime, and we have the opportunities, the legal protection and the educational opportunities needed to be equal in all possible ways.

But now, we have highly educated but narrow-minded women who are committed to identifying an endless supply of victims of newly minted injustices or deprivations who need professional assistance and support.

they seem to need an army of specially trained, well-paid female workers to counsel them and support their fights and at the end of all that they will all still insist that women are victims of social injustice and endless persecution by men! Anne Still, Tiptree, essex.

WHINING WOMEN ALL OVER BBC

Thank you for saying what the vast majority of women are thinking. I have been married for 50 years, am a mother and grandmother, and have never known a time when women invade every space either whingeing, protesting or complaining about everything.

I am sick of far too many women on tv.

this morning I turned on BBC News and there were two presenters, a sport presenter, one weather presenter and one expert — all women — within 30 minutes. I turned off.

I long for some male voices and presenters on every programme. When I was working my male bosses were all great, while the women were a nightmare. In all my life, I have never felt discriminated against, a victim, or anything other than a normal happy person appreciating the men in my life. What are these women so miserable about? Barbara Simpson, Preston.

JOBS SHOULD GO TO BEST PERSON

All the women I know are totally bemused at what is going on at the BBC. I’ve never in all my life heard so much drivel.

I sincerely hope they don’t think they speak for all women, most certainly they do not!

Jobs should go to the person best qualified for the role, not just because they’re ethnic, disabled, transgender, female, male. Are there any women clamouring to work down the sewers? It seems they just want the best jobs and leave the ‘dirty’ work to the men! It’s laughable. Joy Wosket, Hereford.

TITLE SHOULD BE FEMINISTS’ HOUR

I’VE been a Radio 4 listener for years but I’ve become so bored with its “wimmins” stuff and women presenters, that I’ve just begun to switch off.

Woman’s Hour should be called Feminists’ Hour, as it’s so dumbed-down it’s not worth listening to with its sheer banality and always some feminist trotting out her pronouncements on everything without any proper analysis of the subject. Anne Elphick, via email.

I MUCH PREFER A MAN’S VOICE

Speaking as a woman, I much prefer a man’s voice on the radio than any woman!

It isn’t just Radio 4 either — just look what they have done to Radio 2. My biggest complaint is about the wonderful Simon Mayo, who now has to share his show with the truly dreadful Jo Whiley. She must have the most boring voice on the radio and barely lets him speak.

We also have to suffer Zoe Ball, Sara Cox, Claudia Winkleman, Anneka Rice and liza tarbuck. Well I don’t, because finally I have said goodbye to Radio 2... or maybe I should say Radio 1 and a half as the music has gone downhill, too! Gillian Boler, via email.

I’M SO TIRED OF SHOUTY VOICES

I AM tired of women’s strident, often shouty, voices that are so prevalent on radio and Tv. How pleasant it is to hear a deeper, gentler male voice, even on the weather forecasts. Many of my friends and colleagues, male and female, feel the same to such an extent that they will turn off programmes which feature prominent women’s voices. Wendy Parker, Solihull.

TODAY’S BECOME SUCH A TURN-OFF

I’VE been listening to the today programme for years, wakes me at 6am and stays on until 9pm.

Not any more. Increasingly in recent years I find myself switching the radio off. I’m sick of being bombarded with homosexual, transgender and women’s issues — and women’s voices incessantly.

Their Tv news is just as bad. And the BBCs anti-Brexit

stance should not be allowed in my view. I suspect there are many like-minded people around who regretfully don’t have a voice on these matters. But if we all switch the radio off, perhaps the management will get the message! Janis Roberts, Oxfordshire.

MR LIDDLE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH

WRITING as a woman, Rod liddle’s article regarding women on Radio 4 was spot on but did not go nearly far enough. In my 20s, I listened to Radio 4 on a regular daily basis as it was interesting, informative, unbiased, funny and very entertaining.

Now, in my 50s, I cannot bear to listen to the puerile, boring, politically correct dramas nor to the worthy but incredibly dull Woman’s Hour, Book Programme and Poetry Please programme among many others.

so much young ‘talent’ wasted on deathly-dull programming.

The majority of worthwhile listening is based on long-running programmes such as Desert Island Discs, Just A Minute and what is left of Thought For The Day. I expect to hear of their demise almost daily.

In addition, almost every time I am foolish enough to switch on, the programme is about music in some way — as if we didn’t already have Radio 3 and wall-to-wall music channels! Jill Milard, via email.

I SHOUT AT DRIVEL THEY BROACAST

As usual, Rod is spot on. I have found myself shouting with frustration at some of the drivel broadcast on Radio 4 and during Woman’s Hour in particular. Woman’s Hour is so bad I’ve stopped listening. Full of whingers and moaners and the permanently offended and stuffed with left-wing propaganda. It’s patronising, sycophantic, repetitive, dull and boring. Susan Spencer, via email.

HERE’S WHAT THE CHAPS THINK...

I WAs a broadcaster on television and radio all my life, including seven years on staff at the BBC, mainly as a producer, and I think there’s been a marked decline in many ways.

Presenters now — and 90 per cent are female — are often not clear speakers and sometimes break all the rules that I was given when I worked for the BBC.

They often gabble and drop their voices at the end of sentences so you can’t understand what they’re saying. some don’t know how to read a script, speak in a monotone and sometimes mispronounce words. standards have fallen.

On start The Week on Monday, we had an extraordinary scene with an elderly man being questioned about his prostate cancer by two women.

We even had a woman discussing the English team in Russia. We should now have not a Woman’s Hour but a Man’s Hour. Bernard Keeffe, london.

I thought it was just me. And it’s not just about Radio 4 but the whole of the media spectrum. Woman’s Hour, when it was between 2pm and 3pm, used to entertain and inform me as a youngster in my formative years.

In recent times I have often wondered if female listeners would be able to survive the hour without being tempted to go out and commit mass suicide, such is the doom and gloom.

Men are pilloried and, if they are not to blame for all female ills, it’s the government’s fault.

The BBC’s political coverage, such as the Daily Politics programme, has become the equivalent of ITV’s loose Women with the occasional token male.

Question Time is another example of where the BBC is steadily losing its audience because of its insistence in giving females a dominant part; they are generally lightweight, one-grievance participants. What they seem unable to do is debate, therefore the whole programme descends into a shrieking match.

given that over the years we have had so many fine women journalists, presenters and commentators, I wonder if this “Me Too” mentality and feminist agenda has got out of hand. It certainly is doing women no favours. Anthony Marsh, ipswich.